LOVE THE WAY YOU LIE . . . pjo

XXXV.

MIA WOKE UP after a dream from her mother telling her to stay strong and to stay alive for her friends and for Sophia. And that she was sorry.

Mia didn't know why Persephone was sorry for her, but she was probably about to find out. Which made her feel like throwing up.

Her eyes snapped open to see Annabeth leaning over her, about to shake her shoulder.

"Finally, you're awake," Annabeth breathed out. "Do you know where we are?"

Mia shakily stood up and looked around, her mind racing. They were on a dark hillside, shrouded with fog. She could feel a cave above, probably because of her Underworld side of her powers. The slope of the hill led up to the cave.

Her mind flashed back to what had happened earlier: stupidly jumping on Thorn's back, Annabeth right behind her, then he'd jumped off the cliff and . . . now, there they were.

Except Thorn wasn't here. But where was he?

"I don't know where we are," Mia breathed out, looking up. "But there's a cave up there. And the hill leads up to there."

"So we go up the hill," Annabeth confirmed.

"So we go up the hill," Mia agreed.

They struggled up the hill. Mia noted old, broken Greek columns of black marble were scattered around, as though something had blasted a huge building to rums.

"Thorn!" Annabeth cried. "Where are you? Why did you bring us here?" She scrambled over a section of broken wall, Mia right behind her, they got to the crest of the hill.

Annabeth gasped.

There was Luke. And he was in pain.

He was crumpled on the rocky ground, trying to rise. The darkness seemed to be thicker around him, fog swirling hungrily. His clothes were in tatters and his face was scratched and drenched with sweat. He was holding up something, Mia noted.

"Annabeth! Mia!" he called. "Help me! Please!"

"Annabeth, don't—" Mia started, but Annabeth had already started running. Cursing under her breath, Mia followed.

As Mia got closer, she saw the tears in Annabeth's eyes. She reached down like she wanted to touch Luke's face, but at the last second she hesitated.

"What happened?" she asked.

"They left me here," Luke groaned. "Please. It's killing me."

"Why should I trust you?" Annabeth asked, reaching back to grab Mia's arm. Her voice was filled with hurt.

"You shouldn't," Luke said. "I've been terrible to you. But if you don't help me, I'll die."

The darkness above Luke began to crumble, like a cavern roof in an earthquake. Huge chunks of black rock began falling. Annabeth rushed in just as a crack appeared, and the whole ceiling dropped. She held it somehow — tons of rock. She kept it from collapsing on her and Luke just with her own strength. It was impossible. She shouldn't have been able to do that.

Luke rolled free, gasping. "Thanks," he managed.

"Help me hold it," Annabeth groaned.

Mia, noting the pain in Annabeth's voice, instantly went under to help her hold it, and she cried out at the heaviness of the . . . whatever she was holding.

Holy shit, Mia thought. Her arms were trembling. But she held it, because Annabeth needed her to.

Luke caught his breath. His face was covered in grime and sweat. He rose unsteadily.